BY JOACKIM KULE
The Ministry of Health officially confirmed an outbreak of measles in Kasese district, Western Uganda.
The outbreak was first confirmed on February 09, after samples from three children aged below five from the same family in Nyamwamba West of Nyamwamba Division in Kasese Municipality tested positive at the Central Public Health Laboratory and informed the District Health Department.
Mr. Arafat Bwambale, the Kasese District Surveillance Focal Person says after being notified by the Ministry of Health about the confirmed cases, they started mentoring the victims at Kasese Municipal Health Centre III for some time and later discharged them after getting well.
Mr. Bwambale made the revelation today morning during a District Taskforce meeting that was held at the Mayor’s Boardroom in Kasese Town.
He also noted that they were currently following up other 10 alerts within the district.
Mr. Bwambale also alleged that the cases could have been as a result of frequent movement of people from one place to another, continuous misconception about immunization, some religious beliefs and myths and lack of community awareness about the disease.
Mr. Stephen Bagonza, the acting Kasese District Health Officer, stresses that his department is now worried since the parents of the victims have allegedly become stubborn by disregarding the information that their children are infected.
He also says that the mentioned family has shifted from Kasese town to Kanyatsi village in Kitswamba sub-county, Busongora County North.
He reiterates his earlier call to the community members to embrace the system of immunizing their children as one of the measures of containing the spread of measles.
The Kasese Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Lt. Maate Magwara who chaired the meeting described measles as a deadly disease which needs immediate attention so that it is contained before it spreads to other communities.
He therefore implored the health authorities to strengthen their sensitization campaigns to the masses about the need to embrace immunization and using the existing health facilities to seek health services.
ENDS